WINNIPEG -- The Manitoba Bisons showed their grit and resolve on Saturday night at Princess Auto Stadium, coming back from 17-0 down at halftime to shock the No. 5 nationally ranked Saskatchewan Huskies 21-20 in their home opener. With the win, the Herd improved to 1-2 while Saskatchewan fell to 2-1. The win was also the first for Stan Pierre as head coach of the Bisons program. 

"I knew that we would respond. It was even maybe a little more than my wildest imagination that we really just flipped the game on its head," said Pierre. 

"All the credit to our football team for sticking with it."

THe Huskies were the more physical team in the first half. They set the tone on their first defensive possession, with CFL Draft pick Seth Hundeby -- who spied Bisons quarterback Jackson Tachinski all game, and had nine tackles overall -- running through veteran Bisons receiver Braeden Smith to force a fumble that was recovered by Sask.

The visitors turned the turnover into seven points five plays later, setting up deep in Manitoba territory. Ryker Frank capped the drive with a 14-yard rushing major to give Saskatchewan a 10-0 lead early on. 

It was 17-0 by halftime for Sask in a contest that featured over 170 yards in penalties, a fair chunk of which occurred in the first half.

Later in first quarter Ethan Laing laid the leather on Smith -- who had four receptions in the game -- on a clean shot across the middle, which resulted in some chirping back and forth, a microcosm of the tenacity both teams embodied all game long.

"I was really shocked at how out-physicaled we were getting in the first half," said Pierre.

"I haven't seen this in this football team for many years. I knew that wasn't who we were. I knew that we would respond."

And respond they did.

Manitoba set the tone early in the second half and didn't let off the gas pedal. They scored on each of their first two drives to begin the third, on the strength of Jackson Tachinki's arm, and a career night from Nathan Udoh.

Udoh recorded 12 grabs on the night overall, tying a single-game school record, along with a career high 158 yards and his first U SPORTS major. A total of 99 of Udoh's yards came in the second half, with multiple chunk plays of over 30 yards in single coverage. He now has a career-high 267 yards on the season and his 20 grabs rank third in Canada West.

Tachinski threw three touchdown passes in the second half overall, including on back-to-back drives in the third, one each to Mula Yitna and Udoh. The Yitna score from three yards out was aided by 21 yards on two grabs from Udoh, and the second major -- a 31-yard bomb to Udoh in single coverage -- was set up by a 48-yard connection to Payton Yakimishyn, the longest grab of his Bisons career. 

"We were trying to go after that back side," said Tachinski, who threw for 258 yards overall. "Nathan, he's a great receiver a big body, a great route runner. He was just putting in work today. We stuck with him. He got us through a lot. Other guys picked it up too."

The Huskies entered the fourth clinging to a 17-14 lead, and looked to be in business following a Laing interception on a batted ball, but Manitoba's defence -- which allowed just three points in the second half -- had other ideas, flipping the game on its head with the same ferociousness the Huskies displayed in the first half.

The Herd got to Huskies quarterback Anton Amundrud four times overall, holding the conference's leading passer to just 187 yards. Jerome Fouillard had a career night with two sacks, including one to deny Sask's opening drive of the fourth after the pick, while Kaleb Mackie-Mcleod also had a sack, as did Jack Shaffer, his Canada West-leading fourth of the season. 

Weak side linebacker Nic Pereira was also pivotal to Manitoba's success on defence. The captain led the Bisons with eight tackles, including six solo, halting multiple Huskies drives late in the game on second and shorts. His 19 solo tackles, flying sideline to sideline on a variety of occasions, leads Canada West.

Meanwhile, All-Canadian running back Breydon Stubbs fed off of some enormous holes up front, finishing with 107 yards on the ground. Along the way, he passed Grey Cup champ Anthony Coombs for fifth in career rushing yards, with 2,330. He is just 13 yards shy of passing Darwin Thompson for fourth overall. 

"We weren't tackling well enough in the first half, that's for sure. I just don't think we were physical enough in the the first half. Both lines started to take over the game a little bit and Jackson made some plays," said Pierre.

"These are the things that we have to hang our head on. [Pereira] got on the field initially because of how physical he was, and now he's moulded into this leader who knows our defence in and out. That's who he is. He's a play maker for our football team and a guy who can set the tone physically."

With 10:47 to play, Manitoba took their first lead, and held on the rest of the way. Stubbs gashed the Huskies for a 38-yard gain and a few plays later Tachinski found fellow captain Vaughan Lloyd for the game-winning score from 12 yards out on a corner route. It was the second straight game that Lloyd has scored a major, tying his career high with two. 

"Vaughan had a big touchdown, Mula had a big touchdown. If that's how we're playing, I think we're going to be unstoppable," said Tachinski, who orchestrated his eighth come from behind win as starting quarterback for the Herd. 

"No one was giving up. We all believed. I was looking around telling the guys we're still in this. There's lots of football left. Guys were buying in. I looked around and saw a lot of people that were motivated and wanted to keep going. We got a W."

The Huskies drove the field in the final minute and had a chance to steal the win with a field goal from just over 40 yards out, but it went wide and Shak Harris got it out of the end zone.

Manitoba is back at home next weekend, hosting their homecoming game on Saturday at 2 pm against Alberta.